State Sen. Hinojosa receives Border Texan award

HIDALGO — State Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa received the prestigious Border Texan of the Year Award on Monday at the State Farm Arena, where local leaders praised his effectiveness as a legislator and tireless advocacy for the Rio Grande Valley.

The annual award honors a civic leader who works to better the region. Past recipients include Mike Allen, who forged links between McAllen and Reynosa that helped the local maquiladora industry develop, and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.

“Not only do I consider Sen. Chuy Hinojosa a personal friend, but he’s one of our more effective legislators — in doing the right thing not only for his district, but also for the whole state of Texas,” Dewhurst said. “Sen. Hinojosa has been an absolute star as the No. 2 member on our Senate Finance Committee, which makes the initial decisions on how our budget is written. He understands living within your means, but at the same time doing as much as you can to improve the economy and future of the good people in his district and the state of Texas.”

Hinojosa, wearing his trademark white hat, said he was honored and humbled to receive the award.

A native of Mission, Hinojosa served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War before returning home, where he earned a law degree from Georgetown University. He served two stints as a state representative before being elected to the Texas Senate in 2002.

The McAllen Democrat helped South Texas College win approval to offer bachelor’s degrees in applied technology and allow the community college to work with local high schools on dropout recovery programs, said STC President Shirley Reed, who received the award in 2007.

Amid statewide budget cuts during the 2011 legislative session, STC and the Valley were fortunate to have an effective legislator like Hinojosa in their corner, Reed said.

“If you don’t, you get devoured and spit up in little pieces. You’ve heard the expression, ‘You know what they do to a deer.’ You feel like you’ve been gutted, drawn and quartered,” Reed said. “That’s what happens to you if you don’t have an advocate. And he is a fearless fighter and a strong advocate. He’s not afraid of the issues. He does his homework and he gets things done.”

BorderFest, Hidalgo’s annual music and cultural festival, bestows the annual award. A charity dinner in Hinojosa’s honor has been scheduled for March 1. Proceeds will go to a scholarship fund of Hinojosa’s choice.

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Dave Hendricks covers McAllen and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at dhendricks@themonitor.com and (956) 683-4452.

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